“Maybe because he can see magic and you can’t,” Shoshanna said. She met Misha’s gaze. “This is huge. I’m not sure how to untangle something this powerful without breaking my entire brain.”
Alistair’s head snapped around. “Don’t even think about it.”
She flashed him an indulgent smile and said, “I won’t. When I first started working with curse-breaking, I learned how to create grounding loops in my arrays, but it would take huge loops and conduits to break this. Do you know a better way?”
“If you can analyze the base geometry of the spell, I can help you create grounding stones to absorb the energy,” Misha said. “Let’s find a place where we won’t be noticed and try to see as much as we can before sunrise.”
15
Even if Paris could have slept, he would have sat up from sunrise to sunset thinking about Misha Volkov, and not just the way the man moved through the world as if he knew everything would step out of his way.
No, today, he was stuck on Shoshanna’s careless question about his curse. Given that they were no more than two miles from Lilah Whitlock and presumably Carrigan Shea at the time, he didn’t want to frighten the others. But that monstrosity looked all too familiar, from its shadowy, barely corporeal form to the silver-blue eyes, to the godawful smell that permeated the air.
So either something had changed after almost two hundred years, or that thing had manifested from Misha somehow. And after watching four of his brothers fall in love and pass their curses onto their lovers, he was terrified.
What if...
What if Misha was his? It should have been a joyous thought, and he had certainly entertained the idea no less than a thousand times since the first time he’d laid eyes on the gorgeous man. But it was one thing to coyly flirt and promise a good headboard-smashing, and another thing entirely to consider that fate herself had placed Misha in his care.
What if he failed? What if he lost Misha to the curse? What if Misha ended up like poor Lucia, who had lost more than a century of her life to Armina Voss’s devious magic?
Last night, he’d remained quiet while Shoshanna and Misha eagerly enthused about magic and geometry and all the arcane jargon that left his head spinning. They’d posted in a nearby parking garage with Paris and Alistair on guard while Misha quite literally worked his magic. He’d sensed several bloodlines connected to Lilah, but he hadn’t gotten a clear read on Shea himself due to the interference of the barrier.
Ultimately, both witches tentatively agreed that the magical barrier was based in the same sort of magic Shoshanna did, and was most likely performed by a high-level tisserande, if not a Night Weaver.
Like Armina Voss.
He hadn’t dared to say it aloud, because the thought of those two working together was enough to give him more nightmares. But judging by the way Alistair had stared at him, Paris didn’t have to say it.
After going home for a short nap and a bucket of caffeine, Shoshanna had worked for most of the day from a high perch on a nearby building. They’d sent Jonas Wynn to protect her, but Alistair had insisted on accompanying them, even if he had to huddle under a huge black umbrella and ache miserably like he had the flu.
She intended to work through the evening, then come back to give a report. Misha had promised to aid her when she was ready. While Shoshanna analyzed the spell, Misha would create bloodstones that could absorb the shock of breaking the barrier. Paris didn’t understand a word of it, but it was strangely charming to watch the two magicians—and two of his favorite people—spewing jargon and tripping over themselves in their excitement to try new tricks.
While the two witches worked, Paris and Olivia spent the day analyzing the map data he’d brought back. They’d sketched a rough circle, which they slowly transferred onto a larger map on Olivia’s computer. Strangely enough, the diameter included the Constitution Building, along with dozens of other buildings.
But at the center of the roughly-sketched circle was Underground Atlanta, a once-popular tourist destination that had been deserted since the last businesses shut down a few years earlier. Upon searching it out, they found that the entire location had been purchased last year by O’Brien and Sons, a mysterious company that had been started two years ago. One of the entrances to the underground area was barely a block away from the Constitution Building, so Shea might have been under their noses all along.
“I bet this company belongs to Kieran and Lilah,” Olivia said. Her brow furrowed. “But we’ve been checking the Constitution Building, and no one ever noticed any magic.”
“Well, to be fair, without Misha and Shoshanna, we wouldn’t have sensed it,” Paris said. “It’s entirely possible that he’s just put up the barrier to keep us from getting too close. Or they might have been somewhere else until recently. Who knows?”
“I still don’t like it,” Olivia said. “And Misha is certain Shea was in there? His magic found Lilah, right?”
“The barrier interfered, but he’s pretty sure Shea was there,” Paris said. “It makes sense that he’d be where Lilah is. Misha’s going to try again this evening.”
“Okay. I’ll keep looking. Have we made any progress with the funeral home?”
“Not yet,” Paris said. “Jonas is trying to meet with the widow, but she keeps ignoring his calls. We’re going to give it another day or two, then we’re showing up at the house.”
They discussed their investigations for a while longer, then confirmed their personnel assignments for the evening. With a better idea of where Shea was, they assigned teams close to the perimeter. Paris also assigned Safira and Nikko to patrol the MARTA stations. With one station within Shea’s perimeter, they could easily access any stop along the four lines by simply running the tunnels.
He had just finished sending out updated assignments when he caught a familiar scent. Soft footsteps padded down the hall. Seconds later, Misha rapped on the doorframe and stuck his head in. “I’m ready to visit Dominic. Do you want to come?”
“It’s early,” Paris said, glancing at his watch. “For you to be awake, I mean.”
Misha shrugged. “I have good company.”
Pleasant warmth filled his chest, and he rose from his desk. “I’ll come with you.” The pleasant warmth of seeing Misha faded quickly as he recalled that strange, spidery creature. “Did…did you have any more issues with your magic? Seeing anything odd?”
